A scanning microscope for examining an object, particularly a sample, basically has at least one light source that produces an illuminating light beam. The illuminating light beam is deflected by means of a scanning unit and then focused on the object with the aid of a focusing lens system. In known scanning microscopes the scanning unit has two or more reflectors that can be adjusted by means of positioning elements associated with the reflectors. The adjustment of the reflectors enables a focus region that may be in the form of a point or line, for example, to be moved on or in the object. Preferably, during the scanning of the object, the focus region is moved within a scanning field such that the entire scanning field can be optically scanned. Detection beams emanating from the object and formed for example by fluorescence effects in the illuminated region of the object can then be deflected onto a detector unit.